


If Only You Knew

by Idiotgenius33



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Hurt Tony Stark, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Pre-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Some Humor, Some Plot, Tom Holland is a good bro, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, this was supposed to be funny but ended up kind of sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:28:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24614515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Idiotgenius33/pseuds/Idiotgenius33
Summary: "So you're telling me you're the real Tony Stark, like from the comics and movies? And you think that you're trapped in some sort of alternate universe?" Peter, no, Tom asked, pacing back and forth, shooting Tony a 'how dumb do you think I am’ look. "You're nuts if you think I'm going to believe you."
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Tom Holland (Actor) & Tony Stark
Comments: 16
Kudos: 170





	If Only You Knew

_ He couldn’t breathe.  _ In front of him stood a teenager. The boy with curly brown hair, soft brown eyes.  _ His heart was pounding _ . The same boy that he saw as a son.  _ He couldn’t move _ . The one who seemed to commit his whole existence to give Tony gray hairs.  _ He was frozen _ . The boy that Tony had held in his arms and watch disintegrate in his hands.  _ He couldn't breathe. _

Tony was dreaming, that was the only logical explanation. Another nightmare, it definitely wouldn’t be his first. Any minute now, Pepper would wake him up and he would have to face the cold, harsh reality that he failed once again. Peter was dead, snapped out of existence along with half of the universe. But somehow, the person who had just walked through the door was none other than Peter Parker.

It was Peter who spoke first, breaking eye contact, clearly uncomfortable from the silence. 

“Um… Robert, are you gonna say anything?” Peter said, crossing his arms. Something in his voice sounded off to Tony, but his thoughts were such a mess he couldn't think straight.

A couple more seconds pass when Tony finally manages to choke out a response. 

“P-Peter?” he asked, voice barely more than a whisper.

“Pe- what no Robert what are you doing here? I thought you were out doing press for Endgame.”

“Yo-you d-died,” Tony said a little bit louder this time, although his voice was shaky, “you died, you aren’t here. I’m dreaming. God damnit why haven't I woken up yet!” His shock turned into anger and frustration. He has to wake up, he can’t go through this torture again, tricking himself that this is real, only to have Peter torn away from him again.

“What are you tal-” 

Before Peter can finish Tony punches the wall instantly feeling a sharp pain run through his arm. Tony stumbles back a little from the force while shaking his hand. He has to wake up,  _ he couldn’t breathe.  _

His whole body was trembling now. 

“Hey hey hey,” Peter said, panic in his voice, “um... it’s okay let's just, ugh, calm down a little bit and we can talk after.”

Peter goes to put a hand on Tony’s shoulder, but Tony flinches away like he’s been burned.

“Okay, no touching, got it,” Peter said while putting his hands up in the air clearly at a loss for what to do, “how about you, erm, take a seat on the couch. It’s to your left.”

Tony nods and stumbles over to the couch. 

_ He couldn’t breathe. _

//

Tony woke up not knowing where he was. Slowly, he sat up while taking in his surroundings. He appeared to be in a small narrow room on a sleek black leather couch. On his right was a small electric fireplace with a TV mounted overhead. To his left, a small dining area along with a kitchen and a short hallway leading to what looked like might be a bedroom and bathroom. Suddenly, it all came rushing back to him. Going to bed with Pepper in their small cabin in the woods one minute, then waking up in a strange room with Peter the next.

Then, a door opened. Weird he didn’t even see it there. The door must have led outside because the sun momentarily blinds him. Peter stepped in, staring at his phone. He was wearing a plain white tee and some black pants while humming to a song and gently nodding his head.

Peter looked up.

“Oh good you’re up,” Peter said taking out his earbuds, “do you remember last night?”

Tony lets out a mental laugh. How could he forget seeing his dead pseudo son standing in front of him then promptly breaking down into tears in front of said son?

Tony shakes his head, “bits and pieces,” he said wanting to hear it from Peter’s side.

“Oh, okay. Well, when I came back from shooting you were just in my trailer. I honestly don't know how you got here because you’re supposed to be in the US doing press for Endgame. Anyways, you kept calling me Peter and then broke down in tears. I eventually got you over to the couch where you promptly fell asleep.”

Tony tenses up, he felt somewhat embarrassed that someone had to see him break down like that. But, that embarrassment was overpowered by confusion,  _ what was Peter talking about? Shooting? Press? Endgame? He said ‘kept calling me Peter’? Was this not Peter? Wait a minute. _

“What's with the British accent?” Tony said, cutting off Peters rambling and throwing on his trademarked smirk, “are we having tea with the Queen.” 

The corners of not-Peter's mouth twitch.

“Was that an insult? I’ll have you know I would love to have tea with the Queen, but knowing me I would find some way to fuck it up and make a fool of myself.”

//

"So you're telling me you're the real Tony Stark, like from the comics and movies? And you think that you're trapped in some sort of alternate universe?" Peter, no, Tom asked, pacing back and forth, shooting Tony a 'how dumb do you think I am’ look. "You're nuts if you think I'm going to believe you."

Tony pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Listen I know it sounds ridiculous, but I am the real Tony Stark. And I have to find out how to get back to my world ASAP. I have a wife that's almost 9 months pregnant and I need to be with her."

"Well if you're the real Tony Stark, then prove it."

Tony pauses. He goes to press a button on his watch and it transforms into the Iron Man gauntlet. Glad that he never removed this feature from his watch.  _ Just because he retired doesn't mean that the people that hate him did as well. _

Tom stopped pacing and stared at the gauntlet, face rapidly switching from doubt, to confusion, then shock before settling on amazement. Tom stared at the gauntlet then tore his gaze away, slowly meeting Tony's eyes.

"You're really Iron Man?" Peter asked softly, the stress from earlier replaced with... something else.

"Believe me now kid?"

Tom redirected his gaze back to the gauntlet. His face illuminated by the gauntlet's harsh glow.

//

“Hey! NO! What are you doing?” Tony practically shouted.

“Getting a drink,” Tom responded while pouring some liquor into a glass, “I don’t care if it’s only 9 am, I am way too sober for this situation.”

Tom went to down the glass but Tony grabbed his arm and took the glass from Tom’s hand and set it back down onto the counter.

“Nuh-uh not happening,” Tony says while shaking his head “I will not have some pipsqueak who can’t even grow facial hair yet drink. Are you even 21?

“I’ll have you know it doesn’t matter if I’m 21 or not,” Tom said twisting out of Tony's grip and downing the glass, “we’re in Quebec, the legal drinking age is 18.”

Tony looked unimpressed but Tom took that as his cue to continue. 

“Besides I'm nearly 23 if that eases your conscience mate,” Tom said patting Tony on the shoulder and laughing. “You were right about one thing though. I can’t seem to grow facial hair.”

//

“So you’re saying that in this world, the Avengers is a movie franchise called the MCU?

“Yes.”

“And I am played by some actor named Robert Downey Jr?”

“Yes.”

“And you play Peter Parker in the Spider-man movies?”

Tom is sitting at the dining table swishing the alcohol around in its glass. Tony has long since stopped trying to get him to stop.

“For the last time yes,” Tom said, fake irritation in his voice.

“Does that mean that you know everything that has happened in my world?” Tony asked.

“I don’t know about everything,” Tom said, “Just the major events.”

Tony shifts uncomfortably. He didn't like the idea that his life was a form of entertainment for so many people here. But that feeling was dismissed by his curiosity.

“Guess I’ll have to watch them, “ Tony says. 

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Tom says uneasily.

“Why not?”

“Um… I don’t know.” Tom said, shifting uncomfortably, not meeting his eyes. “Wouldn’t it be like a major invasion of privacy?” 

“Why does it matter? Millions of people here have seen it.”

“It just seems a little rude if you ask me,” Tom was hiding something. Tony could tell.

“Compelling argument, but you’re forgetting something.”

“What?” Tom asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

“When have I ever cared about being rude?” Tony said with a wide grin, laughing as Tom flipped him off.

//

Tom sat at the table on his phone. The TV was on in the background playing an episode of The Office. Tony tried to watch the TV but his gaze kept drifting over to Tom. The more he looked the more he could spot the subtle differences between Tom and his Peter. Like how Tom has a sharper and stronger jaw with less baby fat around his cheeks. His shoulders are broader and his hair a bit shorter and tamer than Peter's unruly curls. Then there's the obvious like how they dress, with Tom's sense of style miles ahead of Peter, who couldn’t care less about how horrible the puns on his shirts are. 

There are also the not so physical differences, like how Tom walks with a confidence that Peter has always lacked, but Tony had always wished for him to have. Tom was also more charismatic, stumbling over his words less. Don’t get him wrong, Tom is still just as awkward as Peter, but it came off in more of a charming way. 

What Tony hates the most is how Tom acts towards him. No matter how much Tony wanted to just pretend this is his Peter, they are strangers, not mentor-mentee. They make casual conversation and occasionally joke around but not much else. That’s when Tony realizes that he knows next to nothing about the man that’s been housing him for the past three days; other than he’s an actor and is currently doing reshoots for some movie.

“What?” Tom says, looking up from his phone.

“Huh?” Tony responds, being snapped out of his thoughts.

“You were just staring at me.”

“Oh,” Tony says before going back to watching the TV, “it’s nothing.”

Tony decides it’s time to change that. Be there is something he needs to do first.

//

Tony heard the trailer door open. 

“Hey, how were reshoots?” Tony called from his chair, eyes not leaving the screen in front of him.

“Hey-” Tom narrowed his eyes, “what are you doing with my laptop?”

“Oh you know, checking twitter, falling down the YouTube rabbit hole, hacking into the pentagon, their security sucks by the way.”

“Wait a second! Did you just say hacking into the pentagon?” Tom said. His voice going up an octave, quickly shooting a glare at Tony. “Also I never said you could use my laptop.”

Tony waved the second part off “Uh yeah, I could do that in my sleep, a complete waste of time though. They know jack shit. And all their research on science and technology is years behind Stark Industries anyway.”

“Dude you can’t just do that! What if they, I don’t know, track the signal back to here and then I get put in jail. Why do you even need to hack the government in the first place?”

“Okay, first of all, I’m insulted that you think that the signal was traceable. I'm not an amateur,” Tony said while making dramatic hand gestures to prove his point. “Also, if you must know I was checking to see if they knew anything that would help me get home or picked up anything weird on their scanners at the time of my arrival. Like I said though, they're completely and utterly useless.”

“But still that is, VERY illegal. I mean, who do you think you are?”

“I’m Tony Stark.”

“ . . . fair enough”

//

“Okay, lo-Hey I’m talking to you!” Tony said, ripping one of Tom's earbuds out.

Tom looked startled for a minute, bringing his hands up as if he was getting ready for a punch before he saw that it was just Tony.

“Sorry, yeah mate what’s up?” Tom said, lowering his fists.

“This is,” Tony said just before the TV turns on showing Tom in a wig dancing his heart out to Umbrella by Rhianna.

“Oh my god no, no one will ever let this go,” Tom groans. 

“Who knew you would look so good in fishnets, I bet the fangirls really appreciated this on-”

Tom slaps him on the shoulder, hard.

//

Tony stood in the kitchen leaning on the counter. Tom had just stepped outside to take a phone call. Whoever they were they sound pretty close, they've been talking for nearly half an hour now.

“Alright mate it was nice talking to you, tell everyone hi for me. Thanks, bye.” Tom said, walking through the door. He hung up his phone and headed for the couch, his eyes never leaving the screen.

Tony stood for a minute sipping at his coffee waiting for Tom to tell him about the call, but Tom just continued to stare at his phone. Growing impatient Tony cleared his throat.

“So who was that on the phone?”

“Hm?” Tom said looking up, “Oh it was just my brother Sam checking in on me.”

Tony tilted his head to the side, “Brothers?” Tom never mentioned anything about brothers before.

“Yeah, I have three brothers, Sam, Harry and Paddy. Why?”

Tony knew it was irrational, but he felt somewhat hurt that he didn’t know about something as basic as Tom's family. He decided to play it off. 

“You just never said anything before,” he shrugged, taking another sip from his mug.

“It never came up. Anyways I kinda just assumed that you already googled me or something?”

Tony scoffed, “Please, I have better things to do than google some stuck up actor. And wouldn’t that be, I don’t know, some invasion of privacy or something?”

“So hacking my laptop is fine but you draw the line at googling me?” Tom said, raising his eyebrows.

“I-,” Tony hesitated, “Would you believe me if I said yes?”

“So you didn’t think of it?” Tom said, the corners of his mouth twitching.

“I never thought of it, no,” Tony said, not the least bit embarrassed.

“Really mate? I thought you were supposed to be a genius,” Tom chuckled.

“At least I can pronounce the word croissant correctly,” Tony said before getting a face full of pillow.

//

While reading Tom's Wikipedia article, Tony came across something very interesting.

“So you were in a musical on the West End when you were 12? How could you not tell me, I feel betrayed.”

“I guess it just didn’t come up,” Tom said, not paying attention.

“It all makes sense now, this is where you learned all those dances skills so you could pull off your stunt on Lip Sync Battle,” Tony laughed

“Would you let that go already?” Tom said exasperated, Tony never shuts up about that video.

“Never,” Tony smiled menacingly, “now how about you show off those musical abilities?”

“I am not doing this with you,” Tom groaned.

“Oh come on, just one line,” Tony begs.

“I said no.”

“Like electricity.”

“Goodnight Tony.”

//

Tony was spending another day mindlessly browsing videos on YouTube when an added popped started to play. He was getting ready to skip it when something caught his attention. He heard his own voice.

_ “It’s not about how much we lost,” _ he watched himself hug Pepper. God, he missed her.

_ “It’s about how much we have left.” _

A few more clips play before giant text pops up reading “Avengers Endgame” followed by “tickets on sale now”.

Tony sat in silence, this movie could tell the future. It could tell him how to get them back. If they get them back. Leaning forward in his chair he opens up a new tab and types in “Avengers Endgame.”

//

“I know you know how to get them back,” Tony states calmly, although he could sense rage bubbling in the back of his mind. “I saw the movie trailer, I read the description, I saw the cast list. I know you’re in it.”

“Listen I do-” Tom said before getting cut off.

“DON’T BULLSHIT ME!” Tony snapped, slamming his hand on the kitchen island. “If you know something, anything, you better come right out and say it! There are billions of lives on the line! Families that have been ripped apart, Loved ones that may never see each other again!

“But you- you can fix that” Tony was shaking now, desperation evident in his voice. “Yo- you can tell us how to get them all back h-,” his voice cracked, “how I can get my kid back.”

Tom slowly walked over so that he stood beside Tony. He was cautious, taking slow calculated steps with his hands up in a surrender position. Almost like approaching a wild animal.

“Look, man,” Tom started, his voice soft, comforting, “I don’t know anything. I am notorious for spoiling movies so they go to great lengths to keep me out of the loop.”

Tony nodded, all of his anger had dissipated, he felt empty.

Tom looked conflicted for a moment, concern written all over his face.

“You-,” Tom stops, he looks down at his shoes, “I'm really sorry,” he says, before leaving Tony to himself.

//

_ “WHAT THE FU-” _

Tony closed the laptop. He watched Spider-man Homecoming. He knew that this was probably a huge invasion of privacy to Peter, but fuck it. Peter’s not here.

Tony leaned over with a sigh, head in his hands. This whole movie was just like the universe screaming at him that he should’ve done better, been there for the kid.  _ Like he didn’t already know that. God, he never should have recruited him in the first place _ .

At the time Tony had not been thinking clearly. When he met Peter for the first time, he didn’t see a teenager trying his best, he saw a weapon he could exploit to give him the edge against Rogers. It wasn’t until the kid was on the ground insisting he could still fight that he realized his mistake. 

From then on he tried to fix it. Distance himself, keep an eye on the kid from afar and the kid would keep his head on the ground. How stupid he was thinking the kid would understand that.

It was a good movie. A nice, charming high school comedy while also balancing a thrilling superhero movie. It made Tony laugh in all the right places and feel the tension in others.

Then there's the building scene. Watching it, Tony didn’t feel like it was real, that this was just a movie and it never happened in his world. This never happened to his Peter. He would’ve told Tony if it did. Right? But the rest of the scenes were so painfully accurate. Every scene with Tony was spot on, even down to the subtle gestures and body language. 

Why hadn’t Peter said anything to him? No, the better question is why would he? Tony was never there for him. Where Tony cared for Peter like a son he had rarely shown it. 

Tony looked up, staring at the wall.

One thing for sure though. Tom Holland is one hell of an actor.

//

“I’m fine,” of course he wasn’t, that much was obvious. Tony has been zoning out these past few days, finding it hard to focus, or not listening making Tom repeat what he’s saying. Just now he was happily staring at the blank TV for who knows how long.

“No you’re not,” Tom said, his voice laced with concern.

“Yeah?,” Tony spat, “Well what would you know! We’ve only known each other for two weeks and you’re not even here most of the time. Always out on set, or doing interviews or photoshoots! We don’t know each other, we just wear the faces of people that we know!

“I’m stuck in this world and I’ve been trying to find a way back but I-,” his voice cracked, “ I don’t even know if I want to go back!”

Tom crossed his arms and tilted his head, “Why would you not want to go back?”

“Why would I,” Tony let out a bitter laugh and stood up, “why would I want to go back huh? Well maybe because in this world, there is no SHIELD, no Hydra, no purple maniacs trying to commit mass murder! NO NEED FOR THE FUCKING AVENGERS!”

“What about Pepper? Or your child?” Tom said, taking a step towards Tony.

“Better off without me there to screw them up, the Stark men don’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to being a father.”

“Look I know things are hard in your world but you need to trust me that things get better.”

“You don’t know that.”

“... what if I did,” Tom said it so quietly that Tony almost missed it.

“What?” Tony said.  _ Did he hear that correctly? _

“That was a mistake I shou-” Tom was talking faster now.

“No, you said you didn’t know anything.”

“I don’t know much,” Tom tried to deflect, holding his hands up in surrender. He looks panicked now.

“JUST FUCKING TELL ME ALREADY!” Tony was shouting now, tired of playing games.

“YOU GET THEM BACK! OKAY?” Tom yelled. He runs a hand through his hair and lets out a shaky breath, “You get them back. All of them. Every single one.”

Tony has no words, he felt numb.

“Look I don’t know the details,” Tom adds quickly, not making eye contact.

Tony shakes his head, “You’re lying again.”

“No, I’m not.”

“You know something else.”

“I’ve already said too much.”

Tony stiffened, his eyes frantically darting around the room he needed space, the walls felt like they were closing in.

“I need some air.”

“You can’t, what if someone sees you. We ca-”

“I don't give a crap if someone sees me or not. I’m going out,” and with that, he stormed out the door.

As soon as Tony stepped down from the stairs to the trailer a wave of vertigo hit him. He stumbled to the side taking a sharp breath, his nose burning from the brisk, cold air. His vision was blurry. Tony rubs his face, his hand coming away wet.  _ Hm, when did he start crying _ ? Tony goes to take another step but is still off-balance. He aims for the side of the trailer, his shoulder ramming into it with the loud thud. He put his hands out to stop himself from falling. The door to the trailer opened and Tom poked his head out.

“Tony!” Tom yells rushing to Tony’s side just as his legs give out under him and he loses consciousness.

“Tony!” a female voice says, shaking his arm.

“What?” Tony croaks, he rolls over confused to see he’s in a bed. He was just outside he thought. He rubs his eyes, trying to get them to focus and he is met by his wife with a panicked look in her eyes. Her hand resting on her stomach.

“it’s time! Get up we need to get to the hospital!”


End file.
